Stitch-separating machine.



N0. 700,913. Patented May 27, I902.

J. B. HADAWAY.

STITCH SEPARATING MACHINE.

(Application filed June 8, 1901.) (No Model.) .5 $heets -Sheet l.

Zazznesses fwevzzar M2 M5. /A9=4- @wfz rm: 50km: PEYIZRS 120., PMOTO-LIDHU, WASHINGYQN, 1m:v

No. 700,913. Patented May 27, I902.

J. B. HADAWAY.

STITCH SEPABATING MACHINE.

(Application filegi June 8, 1901.)

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Wail/7265 e5 f n1: NORRIS PETERS co. uoraumu msnmnwx o. c.

N0. 700,9I3. Patented May 27, I902.

J. B. HADAWAY.

smcn SEPARATING MACHINE.

(Application filed Jun: 8, 1901.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 3,

(No Model.)

20257266665 [7w 7zz0r- No. 700,9!3. Patented May 27, I902.

J. B. HADAWAY.

STITCH SEPARATING MACHINE.

(Application filed. June 8, 1901.) (No Model. 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

Jr j iazznsses i Lad No. 700,913. Patented May 27, I902.

J. B. HADAWAY.

STITCH SEPABATING MACHINE.

(Application filed June 8, 1901.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

(No Model.)

"fizuavzfor Miran rricn.

PATENT STITCH-SEPARATING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 700,913, dated May 27, 1902.

Application filed June 8, 1901- .To all whom it vimy concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN B. HADAWAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stitch-Separating Machines; andI do hereby declare the fol lowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to stitch-separating machines which are used in the manufacture of boots and shoes to indent the material between the stitches appearing at the outer edge of the sole to bring the stitches into prominence and impart a finished appearance to this portion of the boot or shoe.

More particularly the present invention relates to stitch-separating machines which are adapted to act upon the boot or shoe after the seam the stitches of which appear at the outer edge of the sole has been finished.

The seam above referred to may consist of stitches which pass completely through the sole and secure the outsole to the other portions of the shoe. It may consist of stitches which are anchored in the sole in any suitable manner, but which do not pass through the sole, or it may consist of stitches pressed into the upper surface of the sole and forming an imitation seam for purposes of ornamentation only.

So far as I am advised as to the state of the art the indenting tool or tools of all prior stitch-separating machines which are adapt ed to act on the edge of a boot or shoe sole after the seam has been finished have been arranged to act on the upper surface of the sole only. It is often desirable to indent both surfaces of the sole-as, for instance, in that class of work in which the stitches at the edge of the sole appear on the bottom as well as upon the upper surface of the sole. In this class of work the seam at the edge of the sole is produced by stitching aloft, as it is termed in the art, the stitches being located on the surface of the bottom of the sole orin a groove to bring them below or flush with the surface, but being visible in either case when the shoe is completed. 13y indenting Serial No. 63,788- (No model.)

both surfaces of the sole of a shoe stitched in this manner the stitches on both surfaces are brought into prominence and a shoe of a more finished and attractive appearance is produced than is the case when the upper surface only of the sole is indented. So, also, in those classes of work in which the stitches do not pass through the sole or are concealed by a channel-flap substantially the same effeet can be produced by indenting both surfaces of the sole. The stitches of the seam at the edge of a boot or shoe sole, however produced, vary more or less in length, and a stitch-separating machine designed to operate upon a boot or shoe after the seam is finished to be practically operative must be provided with means for compensating for the variations in the length of the stitches in order that the indentations may be located in the work in proper relation thereto.

The principal object of my invention is to produce a stitch-separating machine adapted to operate upon a boot or shoe sole after the seam has been finished to form in both surfaces of the sole a series of indentations properly located with relation to the stitches.

To this end my invention consists in a stitch-separating machine provided with two indenting-tools arranged to operate on opposite sides of the work and means whereby the location of the indentations is determined by the length of the stitches.

My invention also consists in a stitch-separating machine comprising two indentingtools arranged to operate on opposite sides of the work, provided with the devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and claimed, the objects and advantages of which will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the following description.

A machine embodying the principal fea-.

tures of my invention is provided with two indenting-tools located on opposite sides of the work, with means for actuating the tools to indent the work, and with means cooperating with the stitches to determine the location of the indentations. As regards these features,broadly considered, the tools may be of any suitable or desired shape to indent the stitch intervals or shape the crowns of the stitches, any suitable mechanism may be pro- ICO vided for actuating the tools, and any suitable means for determining the location of the indentations to be used.

It has been found in practice that the requisite amount of pressure to cause an indenting-tool to properly indent the work cannot be satisfactorily applied by means of a spring, and I accordingly prefer to provide means for positively actuating the tools so that the indenting-pressure is positive or unyielding, as distinguished from a yielding or spring pressure. A further advantage of positively actuating the tools'is that the depth of the indentations produced is uniform and is not affected by the character of the stock, as is the case where the pressure is yielding.

For determining the location of the inden- I tations I prefer to provide means whereby one or both of the tools coact with the stitches of the seam to cause the indentations to be properly located in the work, such an arrangecorresponding to the lengths of the stitches,

in order to prevent the cumulative effect of such variations, and I have accordingly arranged the means for feeding the work above referred to to so operate.

In certain classes of work the stitches of the seam at the edge of the sole do not appear on the bottom surface of the sole or are sunk in a groove, so as not to be readily engaged by an indenting-tool, and in order to provide a machine capable of operating on these classes of work, as well as upon that class in which the stitches are disposed on the bottom surface of the sole, I prefer to so arrange the various parts of the machine that the location of the indentations in both surfaces of the Work is determined by the action of the tool, which acts upon the stitches appearing upon the upper or welt side of the solo.

The soles of different shoes and to a less extent the diiferent portions of the sole of the same shoe differ in thickness, and a feature of my invention consists in certain devices and arrangements whereby the tools can be adjusted -and actuated to produce indentations of the desired depth in work of different thicknesses.

The features of invention above referred to are embodied in the best form at present known to me in the machine illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which is designed as an improvement on the stitch-separating machine disclosed in my Patent No. 543,012, dated July 23, 1895.

ferred to.

are provided, as in the patented machine, and the lower work-support is mounted upon a,

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine illustrated in said patent with my present invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view in end elevation thereof with the driving-pulley removed. Fig. 4 is a View in side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the slide which carries the lower work-support and of the mechanism for actuating the lower indenting-tool mounted thereon. Fig. 5 is a View in front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 4. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are views in side and front elevation and plan of a lever or arm constituting part of the mechanism for actuating the lower indenting-tool. Figs. 9 and 10 are front and plan Views of the lever to which the lowerindenting-toolis secured; and Figs. 11, 12, 13, and 14 are detail views of wearing-plates, to be hereinafter described.

In the machine illustrated in the drawings the upper indenting-tool is constructed and arranged to be located in the intervals between the stitches appearing upon the upper or welt side of the sole to indent the stitch intervals and to feed the work varying distances, corresponding to the lengths of the stitches, the construction, arrangement, and mode of operation of the mechanism for actuating the tool being substantially the same as the mechanism for actuating the tool in the machine disclosed in the patent above re- Upper and lower work-supports Vertically movable spring actuated slide, whereby the lower work support adjusts itself to adapt the machine for operation upon work of different thicknesses. The locking mechanism for the slide is also substantially the same as that disclosed in the patent above referred to. The lower indenting-tool is arranged to be moved toward and from the upper indenting-tool to adapt the machine for operation upon work of different thicknesses by being mounted upon and movable with the lower work-support or its slide, and the actuating mechanism for the lower indentingtool is carried in part by the slide and is so arranged that the tool is actuated by said mechanism to produce indentations of the same depth regardless of the position of the slide.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 indicates the frame of the machine, supported upon a suitable standard 2. Projecting upwardly from the rear portion of the baseor frame 1 are two standards 3, in the upper end of which is journaled the horizontal drivingshaft 4. To the opposite ends of the drivingshaft are secured the driving-pulley 5 and hand-wheel 6 and between its bearings the cam-disks 7 and 8, which are provided with cam grooves and surfaces for operating the moving parts of the machine, as will be hereinafter described. Arranged to slide in a horizontal guideway in the front portion of the machine-frame is a feed-slide O, which is reciprocated by means of a lever 10, pivoted intermediate its ends on the frame of the machine and which is provided at its rear end with a roll which engages the cam-groove 11 in the disk 7. The front end of lever is adjustably connected to the slide 9. Pivoted to a lug on the slide 9 is the tool-carrying frame or lever 12, upon which is pivotally and frictionally mounted the tool-stock 13, in

which the upper indenting-tool 14 is clamped. The lever 12 is actuated to bring the tool 14: yieldingly in contact with the work by means of the coiled spring 15 and is actuated to raise the tool from the work by means of the lever 16, which is pivoted on the machine-frame so as to move in a vertical plane. The rear end of the lever 16 is provided with a roll which engages a cam-groove 17 in the face of disk 7, and the front end of the lever is provided with an adjustable screw-threaded bolt 18, which is arranged to engage a horizontal portion of the arm or lever 12, extending on the opposite side of the pivot to that on which the tool-stock is mounted. For righting the tool 1 1, if necessary, after it has been located in a stitch interval and for depressing the arm 12 to positively force the tool into the work to produce an indentation the pressurelever 19 is provided, pivoted to the frame of the machine so as to move in a vertical plane. The rear end of the lever 19 is provided with a roll which is engaged by a cam-groove in the face of the disk 8, and its front end is constructed to engage the end of arm 12 and a stud carried by an arm projecting laterally from the tool-stock 13. Secured to the frame of the machine and extending forward into a position to enter the crease between the upper and the welt of a shoe is a horizontal plate 20, which forms the upper work-support and also a crease-gage. The upper work-support 20 is provided with an opening through which the tool 14 passes, and the front end of the work-support is shaped to press against the upper of a shoe and hold it out of contact with the tool. Mounted to slide in vertical guideways in the front portion of the machine-frame is a slide 21, to the upper end of which is secured a plate 22, which constitutes the lower work support. The slide 21 is pressed upwardly bymeans of a coiled spring 23, which is interposed between the lower end of the slide and a washer 24, resting upon the upper end of a screw threaded sleeve 25, adjustably secured in a bracket 26 of the machine frame. The spring 23 surrounds a rod 27, secured to the lower end of slide 21 and projected downwardly through the washer 24 and sleeve 25. The lower end of rod 27 is connected to a suitable treadle, (not shown,) by means of which the slide 21 can be depressed against the tension of spring 23 to separate the lower work-support 22 from the upper work-support 2O sufficiently to allow the insertion of the edge of a shoe-sole therebetween. The spring 23 normally acts to force the work-support 22 upwardly, but allows the work-support to yield to adjust itself to work of different thicknesses. At certain times during the operation of the machine the work-support is locked from downward movement by means of a locking-lever 2S, pivoted at 29 to the machine-frame and actuated by a cam-groove (not shown) in one of the faces of disk 8, which'engages a roll on the rear end of the lever. Pivotally mounted upon the lever 28 is a spring-pressed pawl 29*, which is arranged to engage the teeth of a segmental rack on the rear end of a lever 30, also pivoted at 29. The front end of lever 30 is slotted and is eXtended into position to engage a block mounted upon a pivotpin extending across an opening in the slide21.

The construction so far described, with the exception of the shape of the lower worksupport and its mode of operation, is substantially the same as the corresponding construction illustrated in the patent above referred to, to the description and drawings of which patent reference may be had for a more complete disclosure of the construction and mode of operation. It may be noted in this connection, however, that the action of the lever 28 differs somewhat from the action of the corresponding lever of the patented construction, as will be hereinafter described.

The lower indenting-tool is indicated at 31 and is adjustably secured by means of a boltand-slot connection to the horizontal arm of a bell-crank lever 32, pivoted upon a stud 33, secured by means of a set-screw 34 in a boss formed on a horizontal projection from the upper end of slide 21. The machine shown in the drawings is especially designed for operation upon that class of work in which the stitches of the seam at the edge of the sole appear upon the bottom surface as well as upon the upper surface of the sole. As a means for locating the tool 31 in the intervals between the stitches appearing on the bottom surface of the sole the tool is held yieldingly in contact with the sole during at least a portion of the feeding movement of the upper tool and is mounted so as to move with the work after the tool has been forced into a stitch interval. In order to allow the tool to move with the'work, the bell-crank 32 is mounted to slide longitudinally on the stud 33 and is acted upon by a coiled spring 35, which is arranged to return the tool after it has been moved by the work. One end of the spring 35 is connected to a stud on the hub of the bell-crank and the other end is connected to a bolt 36, adjustably secured in the outer end of the horizontal projection of the slide 21. The bell-crank lever 32 is provided with two downwardly-extending vertical arms. A block 37 is rotatably mounted between the arms on a pin 38 and is engaged by a slot in the upper end of an arm 39, loosely pivoted on a stud 10, secured, by means of a set-screw 11, in a boss formed in a projection from the lower end of the slide ICC 21. By means of this construction the bellcrank 32 is actuated when the arm 39 is swung on the studr40 to move the tool 31 toward and from the work and. is free to slide longitudinally on the stud The arm 39 is swung upon the stud 40 by means of a lever 42, pivoted on the stud 40, which is provided with a short vertical arm connected to the arm 39, as will be described, and with a relatively long horizontal arm provided at its rear end with a roll bearing against the peripheral cam-surface 43 of disk 7 As has been stated, the tool 31 is held yieldingly in contact with the work during the whole or a portion of the feeding movement of the upper tool. To accomplish this result, the short arm of lever 42 is connected to arm 39 as follows:

Referring more particularly to Fi s. 4 to 8, it will be seen that the arm 39 is pivotally mounted upon the stud 4O beside the lever 42 and extends upwardly through an opensided slot in the short arm of the lever. The portion of the arm which passes through the slot fits loosely therein, so that there is considerablelost motion between the lever and the arm. A coiled spring 44 is connected at one end to the short arm of lever 42 and at the other to a screw-threaded rod 45, adj ustably mounted in a laterally-extending portion of the arm 39, as is clearly shown in Fig. 4, the construction being such that when the roller of arm 42 is resting upon the low part of camsnrface 43 the upper end of lever39 is swung to the left, as viewed in Fig. 4, so that the arm contacts with the left side of the slot in lever 42. In this connection it may be noted that Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate the position which the parts assume when the roller at the end of lever 42 is on the high part of camsurface 43 and the upward movement of the indenting-tool 31 is resisted by the work, in such position the arm 39 being in contact with the right-hand side of the slot in lever 42. In order to indent the work, a positive movement is imparted to the tool 31 after it has been located in a stitch interval, such positive movement being imparted thereto by the contact of the right-hand side of the slot in lever 42 with arm 39. As clearly shown in Fig. 3, the cam-surface 43 is provided with a low portion, a high portion, and an intermediate portion. When the roll on lever 42 is in contact with the low portion of the camsurface, the tool 31 is removed from contact with the work and the arm 39 is pressed against the left-hand side of the slot in lever 42 by the spring 44. When the roll of lever 42 rests upon the intermediate portion of the cam-surface, the tool 31 is held in contact with the work with a yielding pressure due to the action of the spring 44 on arm 39, and when the roll on lever 42 passes from-the intermediate portion to the high portion of the cam-surface the tension of spring 44 is, overcome and the tool is positively forced into the work by the contact of the right-hand side of the slot in lever 42 with the arm 39.

In order to protect the engaging surfaces of arm 39 and, lever 42 from wear, wearingplates 46,0ne of which is shown separately in Figs. 13 and 14, are secured, by means of screws 47, to the sides of the slot in lever 42, and a wearing-plate 48 (shown separately in Figs. 11 and 12) is secured to the portion of arm 39 which passes through the slot.

/ In addition to the crease-gage formed by the upper work-support 20 an edge-gage 49, adjustably secured to the lower work-support 22, is also preferably provided.

The operation of the machine may be briefly described as follows: Starting with the parts in the position shown in the drawings, in

which position both indenting-tools are in contact with the work and at the extreme limit of their movement to the left, as viewed in Fig. 2, the lever 16 is actuated to engage the lever 12 and raise the upper indentingtool from the work,the lever 19 being actuated at the same time to permit the actuation of the lever 12 by lever 16. The slide 9 is then moved to the right by the lever 10, the upper indenting-tool being moved by this movement of the slide 9 to its extreme position to the right. The lever 10 is then actuated to allow the lever 12 to be moved by the spring 15 to yieldingly press the upper indentingtool against the Work. While the tool is held yieldingly in contact with the work the slide 9 is moved to and fro a short distance to locate the point of the indenting-tool in the in terval between two stitches. After the upper indenting-tool has been located in a stitch interval the lower separating-toolis withdrawn from the work and the upper indenting-tool is positively forced into the work to produce an indentation by the actuation of lever 19. rest for a sufficient length of time to allow the upper indenting-tool to settle into the work and the fibers of the leather to conform to the point of the tool, so as to maintain the shape of the indentation made by the tool after it has been withdrawn from the work. During the movements above described the lower work-support has been locked from downward movement by the engagement of pawl 29 with the ratchet-teeth on the rear end of lever 30. The lever 28is now actuated to cause the pawl 29 to release the ratchetteeth on lever 30 and unlock the Work-support, and the slide 9 is moved to the left to cause the upper indenting-tool to feed the work, theunlocking of the work support taking place at the commencement or during the first part of the feeding movement to allow the work to be fed and the work-support to automatically adjust itself to variations in the thickness of the work. During the feeding movement of the work, and preferably during the latter part of this movement, the lower indenting-tool is brought yieldingly in contact with the Work and is forced into a stitch interval as the work is moved over the point of the tool and thereafter moved laterally All parts of the machine now remain at with the work. lVhen the tools have reached their extreme position to the left, the upper separating-tool is raised slightly and the lower work-support is forced positively upward and locked in position by the engagement of pawl 29 with the ratchet-teeth of let er 30. The work is thus firmly clamped between the upper and lower work-supports, and while so clamped the lower separating-tool is forced positively into the work to indent the stitch interval in which it has been located. This completes the cycle of operation of the machine, the parts being in the position shown in the drawings.

It will be seen from the above description that the tools are automatically adjusted for operation upon work of different thicknesses and that the indentations are properly located in the work with relation to the stitches. The upper indenting-tool when actuated to feed the work is always moved to the same position, and thus the work is fed a distance equal to the length of a stitch regardless of its length. The tools shown in the drawings are shaped to enter and indent the intervals between the stitches; but it will be evident that tools similar to those disclosed in my prior Letters Patent No. 653,236, dated July 10, 1900, and No. 667,086, dated January 29, 1901, which are shaped to engage the crowns of the stitches or the crowns and the intervals between the stitches might be used and that such tools would be the equivalent of the tools illustrated.

Having thus indicated the nature and scope of my invention and having described a machine embodying my in ventionin its preferred form, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A stitch-separating machine, having, in combination, two indenting-tools arranged to operate on opposite sides of the work, means cooperating with the stitches to determine the location of the indentations and means for actuating the tools to indent the work, substantially as described.

2. A stitch-separating machine, having, in combination, two indenting-tools arranged to operate on opposite sides of the work, means for adjusting the tools for operation upon work of difierent thicknesses, and means for positively actuating the tools to indent the work, substantially as described.

3. A stitch-separating machine, having, in combination, two indenting-tools arranged to operate on opposite sides of the work, and means controlled by the thickness of the work for positively actuating the tools to produce indentations of the same depth in work of different thicknesses, substantially as described.

4. A stitch-separating machine,ha'ving, in combination, two indenting-tools arranged to operate on opposite sides of the work, means controlled by the work for automatically adjusting the tools for operation upon work of different thicknesses, and means for actuating the tools to indent the work, substantially as described.

5. A stitch-separating machine, having, in combination, two indenting-tools arranged to operate on opposite sides of the work, one of said tools acting to move the work into position to be acted upon by the other tool, and means for actuating the tools, substantially as described.

6. A stitch-separating machine, having, in combination, two indenting-tools arranged to operate on opposite sides of the work, means for locating each tool in a stitch interval whether the stitches are of uniform or varying length and means for actuating the tools to indent the stitch intervals, substantially as described.

7. A stitchseparating machine, having, in combination, twoindentingtools arranged to operate on opposite sides of the work, means for actuating one tool to indent and feed the work, means for locating the other tool in a stitch interval during the feeding of the work, and means for actuating said tool to indent the work, substantially as described.

8.. Astitch-separating machine, having, in combination, an indenting-tool arranged to operate on one side of the work, a yieldinglymounted work-support, an indentingtool mounted on said work-support arranged to opcrate on the opposite side of the work, means for actuating the tools to indent the Work and means for locking the work-support during the indenting action of the tools, substantially as described.

9. A stitch-separating machine, having,in combination, two indenting-tools arranged to operate on opposite sides of the work acting successively to formindentations therein, and means for actuating the tools, substantially as described.

10. Astitch-separating machine, having, in combination, two indenting-tools arranged to operate on opposite sides of a finished seam, means for locating each tool in a stitch interval whether the stitches are of uniform or varying length and means for actuating the tools to indent said intervals, substantially as described.

11. Astitch-separating machine, having, in combination, a combined indenting and feeding tool located on one side of the work and an indenting-tool located on the opposite side of the work, and mechanism for actuating the tools, substantially as described.

12. A stitch-separating machine, having, in combination, a tool acting on the stitches to feed the work and an indenting-tool located on the opposite side of the work and movable with the work, and means for actuating the tools, substantially as described.

13. A stitch-separating machine, having, in combination, a combined indenting and feed ing tool located on one side of the work, an indenting-tool located on the opposite side of the work, means for yieldingly holding the indenting-tool against the work during a por= tion of the feeding movement, and means for combination, two indenting-tools arranged to actuatingthetools,snbstantiallyas described. operate on opposite sides of a finished seam, 14:. Astitch-separatingmachine, having, in i and means for actuating the tools to indent combination, an indenting-tool, a tool-carrier the intervals between the stitches and to feed 15 5 mounted to slide in the direction of the feed the work, substantially as described.

by the engagement of the work with the tool, Intestimony whereof I affix my signature means for holding the tool yieldingly against in presence of two Witnesses. the Work, means for feeding the Work, and JOHN B. HADAWAY. means for actuating the tool to indent the WVitnesses:

10 work, substantially as described. ALFRED I-I. HILDRETH,

15. Astitch-separating machine, having,in FRED O. FISH. 

